The present invention relates to learning aids and, more particularly, to learning aids for teaching and learning spelling and reading.
It is often difficult for beginning and low-level readers to understand how series of letters can be associated to form a word. For such readers, visual images may be more easily understood and retained than series of letters. Visual images presented in a sequence to illustrate a sentence or a story can also be understood and retained better than series of letters.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a learning aid includes a tangible medium of expression, an image fixed on the medium, the image being at least partially formed of letters making up a spelling word, and at least one sentence illustrated by the image and associated with the medium, the sentence including at least one use of the spelling word.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a teaching method includes reading a sentence containing a use of a spelling word to a student, showing the student an image that is at least partially formed of letters making up the spelling word, the image illustrating the sentence, and having the student spell the spelling word while viewing the image.